Few Questions

[WaterTight]

1. I heard that from next year you have to either possess or be working towards your NVQ 2 to be carrying out any plumbing work. Is this true? I work for a plumber, mostly fetch and carry but increasingly more hands-on work. Would this be therefore illegal unless I get the NVQ started? (which I'd love to but can't afford at the moment)

2. Public Liability Insurance. Been looking into it for future reference. It seems most companies that offer it don't seem to ask about qualifications. It would appear that I can get cover now despite only having the tech cert. I suppose this would make sense since there are meant to be lots of plumbers out there working legally (for now) with no qualifications. And surely they won't all be working without insurance. Is it the case that public liability insurance can be offered to unqualified people then? And wouldn't they just deny any claims once they found out you didn't have the full NVQ?

 

[Winston]

Watertight dont worry mate I havent heard anything like this though organisations such as CIPHE are trying to push forward for legislation to be put into place for a license. I think its unlikely, but its because horroe stories of cowboys some time served some fast track, there is good and bad in all walks of life.

With regard to insurance they dont ask alot of questions but they do should a claim be possible anything o wiggle out of it but whats new there then for the insurance business.

 

[anz]

Why don't you ask your employer to fund the course for you. It will benefit you both. You could also try getting some funding from the government. Check out JTL.

 

[WaterTight]

Well he's a good bloke but he's not going to fork out over 2k for my NVQ. Was enough of a negotiation to get him to pay me what he does. It'd be wiser for him to just hire a skivvy that's already got the NVQ if it came to that. That JTL thing looks pretty sweet but on reading the detail it I think my chances would be slim. Looks more geared towards larger companies training up teenagers on official apprenticeships. Not sole-traders employing mature career-changers for plumber's-mate work.

I've now found this since posting this thread:

"In 2012 all plumbers wishing to work in the construction industry/site will be required to hold a City & Guilds NVQ2 in plumbing to operate"

So not next year, but rather 2012. And I'm not sure whether "construction industry/site" would include domestic plumbing. Sounds less worrying anyway.

As for insurance, that's kind of what I thought would be behind their not asking many questions. But do you think plumbers without qualifications (or just tech certs) will routinely have claims denied because of such? Maybe they get insurance just so they can say they have it on their advert.

Thanks chaps.